Plan to extend Cattle Market car park in Stamford is put on hold

Plans to expand a car park by 100 spaces are on hold while South Kesteven District Council prioritises critical services during the coronavirus crisis.

Cattle Market car park is run by the local authority, which had announced in early March that it intended to use a piece of adjacent waste ground to increase the number of pay and display spaces.

However, when the coronavirus lockdown began later the same month, the council suspended parking charges, a decision which council leader Kelham Cooke (Con) said would cost about £20,000 in lost income if it continued until June.

Income from services such as parking has a direct impact on the level of council tax that is levied.

South Kesteven district and Rutland County Council were asked how much income they gained from car parks in the last financial year, therefore indicating how much could be lost from this year’s budgets should free parking continue, but neither council has responded to the request for the information.

Saturday morning waste collection services from the Cattle Market car park are also on hold because of coronavirus.